Inspectors go over Neuse River Bridge, inch by inch

KCI inspectors are raised in their bucket from a round of bridge inspection on the Neuse River Bridge. Work on the bi-annual inspection is expected to be finished by the end of next week.

Bill Hand/Sun Journal

By Bill Hand, Sun Journal Staff

Published: Friday, September 6, 2013 at 07:59 PM.

Lanes have been closed lately on the U.S. 17 Neuse River Bridge the last few days while cumbersome-looking vehicles have set down, lowering inspection workers over the side on buckets and booms.

Drivers may have to put up with the inconvenience for another couple of weeks, though the bridge will be clear and open for Saturday’s and Sunday’s MS Bike rides.

Maria Rogerson, division bridge program manager with North Carolina Department of Transportation, said the work, which began on Sept. 3, will be completed by Sept. 19.

Federal law requires all bridges to be inspected at least once every two years, she said. Above-water work is usually farmed out while underwater inspections are done by NCDOT dive teams, often at a different time than the rest of the bridge.

“They’re looking at all the components of the structure to look at what condition they’re in,” Rogerson said. “Everything from top to bottom of the bridge … guard rails, superstructure, road surface, piers.”

Once the inspection is finished, a report is turned into the state listing any needs for maintenance and repair, along with deadlines to have them done.

“The could write up anything,” Rogerson said, “even the fact that trash is on the deck and it needs to be swept off. It could be minor things like that, to a section of concrete is missing and needs to be repaired.”

Lanes have been closed lately on the U.S. 17 Neuse River Bridge the last few days while cumbersome-looking vehicles have set down, lowering inspection workers over the side on buckets and booms.

Drivers may have to put up with the inconvenience for another couple of weeks, though the bridge will be clear and open for Saturday’s and Sunday’s MS Bike rides.

Maria Rogerson, division bridge program manager with North Carolina Department of Transportation, said the work, which began on Sept. 3, will be completed by Sept. 19.

Federal law requires all bridges to be inspected at least once every two years, she said. Above-water work is usually farmed out while underwater inspections are done by NCDOT dive teams, often at a different time than the rest of the bridge.

“They’re looking at all the components of the structure to look at what condition they’re in,” Rogerson said. “Everything from top to bottom of the bridge … guard rails, superstructure, road surface, piers.”

Once the inspection is finished, a report is turned into the state listing any needs for maintenance and repair, along with deadlines to have them done.

“The could write up anything,” Rogerson said, “even the fact that trash is on the deck and it needs to be swept off. It could be minor things like that, to a section of concrete is missing and needs to be repaired.”

The state is not expecting any significant problems to be found on the Neuse River Bridge, which was completed in 1999.